Tamping apparatus.



G. S. WERT. TAMPING APPARATUSI APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLANOI-IRAPH cm, WASHINGTON, D- o.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

0. S. WERT. TAMPING APPARATUS.- APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 23, 1912.

Patented Feb.3, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

G. S. WERT. TAMPING APPARATUS. APIfLIGATION FILED NOV. 23,1912.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914 3 SHBBTSSHEBT 3.

C .5. WERT.

cowmm rumour" co., WASHINGTON. n. c.

CYRUS S. WERT, OF KENDALLVILLE, INDIANA.

TAT/[PING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Fatented Feb. 3,1914.

Application filed November 23, 1912. Serial No. 733,168.

To aZZ "whom it may concern Be it known that I, CYRUS S. VVERT, acitizen of the United States, residing at Kendallville, in the county ofNoble and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Tamping Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements in brickor block machines of the multiple mold type designed particularly foruse in the manufacture of concrete bricks, although equally applicablefor use with other plastic compositions, and relates especially to powertamping mechanism.

The invention has for its primary object to provide a simple, durableand eflicient construction of tamping apparatus, the parts of which areso constructed and arranged that they may be cheaply manufactured andreadily assembled and not liable to get out of order, and which willprove very effective in operation and increase the capacity and outputof the brick or block machine with which it is associated, enabling thework to be very quickly performed and wit-h a minimum of power andlabor.

The invention has for a further object to provide an improved tampingmechanism which is applicable for use with any conventional brick orblock machine embodying a plurality of molding sections or compartments,although the tamping mechanism embodying the improvements of thisinvention is designed particularly for use in connection with myimproved brick machine which forms the subject matter of a co-pendingapplication for Letters Patent of the United States, filed on or aboutthe 26th day of October, 1912, Serial No. 727 ,992.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus ofthis character which will be practically noiseless in operation andwhich may be easily controlled to operate at the required time, andwhich may be easily held in an inoperative or raised position, while themold is being emptied. And the invention also aims to generally improvedevices of this class so as to render them more efficient andcommercially desirable.

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions,arrangements and combinations of the parts that I shall hereinafterfully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of one form or embodiment of my improvedtamping mechanism, the same being shown in connection with a brickmachine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, a part of the supportingframe-work for the tampers being broken away. Fig. 3 is a perspectiveview in the nature of a diagram illustrating the series of cranks andtheir relative positions in connection with the arms for elevating thetamper-carrying plungers. Fig. i is a fragmentary perspective view inthe nature of a diagram illustrating a modification of the arm-actuatingmechanism hereinafter specifically referred to. Fig. 5 is a detailsectional view on the line 5-5, of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a detail sectionillustrating a portion of the parts shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detailview of one of the latches or dogs that are designed to hold thetamper-carrying plunger rods in their upper positions, and, Figs. 8, 9,10 and 11 are detail transverse sectional views illustrating thedifferent movements of the parts hereinafter more specifically referredto.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and designated in the accompanying drawings by likereference characters.

In the accompanying drawings, there is illustrated in a conventionalmanner, the brick machine forming the subject matter of the co-pendingapplication hereinbefore mentioned, the same embodying a mold box 1supported upon a frame-work 2 in juxtaposition to an inclined feedtrough 3 which, in the present embodiment of the invention, is carriedby the tamper-supporting framework 4.

5 designates the tampers or tamping feet. In the present instance, theseare shown in the form of castings, each casting embodying two feet thatare designed to move downwardly int-o the respective compartments of themultiple mold box 1 so as to tamp the concrete or other plasticsubstance in the latter. The tampers 5 are secured to the lower ends ofvertically disposed plunger rods 6 which are guided for a verticalmovement in the transverse bars of the frame-work 4, as clearlyillustrated in the drawings, said plunger rods extending above theframe-work and being provided at their upper ends with coiled springs 7designed to absorb the shock of the plunger rods in the downwardmovement of the latter, should the operating mechanism be accidentallytripped to permit the plungers to move downwardly by gravity with themold box emptied. In this event, as is evident, the springs 7 willabsorb the shock and prevent the tampers 5 from crashing into andthrough the mold box.

Each of the plunger rods 6 is formed on its rear side, as bestillustrated in Fig. 2, with a keeper in the form of a notch, designated8, said keepers being designed for engagement by dogs or latches 9 thatare held in one position under tension by springs 10 that are coiledaround a transversely extending rod 11 which is carried by atransversely extending plate 12. The plate 12 is provided at its endswith trunnions 13 that are mounted in bearing blocks 14 bolted orotherwise secured to the framework, as best illustrated in Fig. 5. Therod 11 is extended at one end, as indicated at 15, and this extended endis pivotally connected to the rearwardly projecting arm 16 of a handlever 17, said lever being fulcrumed intermediate of its ends, asindicated at 18, on the front of the frame-work, as clearly illustratedin the drawings.

In that embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, acrank shaft 19 is journaled in the framework 4, said crank shaft beingprovided with five cranks, one for each of the plunger rods 6, saidcranks for the purposes of description, being designated A, B, C, D andE, respectively. There are five gyrating trip arms 20, one for each ofthe plunger rods 6, each of said arms being pivotally suspended at itsrear end from a swinging hanger 21, and each arm being pivotallyconnected intermediate of its ends to one of the cranks just mentioned.It will thus be understood that as the shaft 19 is rotated, the arms 20will have a gyratory movement imparted to them. These arms extend frontand rear,

- as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 and are provided at their forwardfree ends with shoes 22 that are designed for engagement with rollers 23that are carried by the respective plunger rods 6 and that projectlaterally therefrom, (as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1.)

It will be understood that any suitable mechanism may be provided forrotating the shaft 19. In the present instance, I have shown as oneconvenient means for that purpose, an electric motor 24 mounted upon theframe-work 4 and operatively connected by a belt 25 to a pulley 26 onone end of a transversely extending shaft 27. This shaft 27 also carriesa pulley 28, around which a band or belt 29 passes, said band alsopassing around a pulley 30 on one end of the crank shaft 19. Thesedifferent pulleys may be graded in any desired manner, whereb therelatively high speed of the shaft of the motor 24 may be reduced, as itis trans mitted to the crank shaft 19, whereby the latter may be turnedat the required number of revolutions per minute.

Having now described the details of construction and relativearrangement of the parts of this embodiment of my invention, I shall nowdescribe the operation of the mechanism. In the first place, let it beas sumed that the tamping mechanism has operated and that it is desiredto raise all of the tampers to their elevated inoperative position andto hold them in that position while the mold is being emptied. To dothis, the operator will grasp the handle end of the lever 17 which will,in the operation of the tamping mechanism, be projecting outwardly orforwardly in a substantially horizontal position from the frame-work andwill press the handle end of the lever downwardly. As the rearwardlyprojecting arm 16 of the said lever is connected to the extended end 15of the rod 11, it will be seen that the plate 12 will be rocked upon itstrunnions 18 as an axis and the dogs or latches 9 will be movedforwardly and thus engage with the keeper notches 8 of the plunger rods6. A further downward movement of the handle end of the lever 17 will,manifestly, through the connection of the pivoted latches 9 with theplunger rods 6, raise the plunger rods until the handle end of the lever17 is projecting straight downward, at which time, the plunger rods 6will be raised to such a height that their rollers 23 will be out of thepath of movement of the shoes 22 of the gyratory tripping arms 20. Thus,the shaft 19 will be permitted to run idle and all of the tampers willbe held in an elevated position so as to permit the mold box 1 to beemptied. After the mold box has again been filled and it is desired totamp the contents thereof, it is only necessary for the operator toswing the handle end of the lever 17 toward him and upward, which willpermit the plate 12 to be lowered to its substantially horizontalposition, but will not by that movement, release the dogs or latches 9from the keeper notches 8 of the plunger rods, although the springs 10are exerting a tension on the latches in a direction to free them fromthe notches, owing to the fact that the notches are so formed as toprevent the'disengagement of the latches until the plunger rods shallhave been moved upward; but as this movement of the plate 12 lowers theplunger rods to a degree sufficient to bring their rollers 23 into thepath of movement of the shoes 22 of the arms 20, it will at once beapparent that in the continuous rotation of the crank shafts 19, theshoes 22 will in proper sequence engage the rollers 23 and thereby movethe plunger rods upward, this movement of the plunger rods disengagingthe notches 8 fro-m the upper ends of the latches or dogs 9, whereuponthe springs 10 will snap the latches rearward, and accordingly, as theshoes 22 pass upwardly and rearwardly out of engagement with the rollers23, the plunger rods will be permitted to move downwardly by gravity intheir proper order and thus tamp the material in the mold box 1. Thetamping operation may be permitted to repeat any desired number oftimes, although I have found that three movements of each tamper issufiicient in nearly every instance.

In further explanation of the operation, reference is to be particularlyhad to Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 11. In the first of these views, the handleend of the lever 17 has been pressed downwardly and rearwardly farenough to tilt the plate 12 sufficiently to effect the engagement of thedogs or latches 9 with the keepers 8 of the plunger rods 6. In Fig. 9,is illustrated the position of parts where the handle end of the leverhas been pressed still farther downward, so as to raise the plunger rods6 to a position where their rollers 23 will be out of the path ofmovement of the shoes 22 of the gyratory trip arms 20. In Fig. 10, thehandle end of the, lever has been pulled forward and upward again so asto lower the plunger rods to an extent suflicient to permit theirrollers 23 to be subsequently engaged by the shoes 22, but the springs10 are not permitted to act to free the latches or dogs 9 from thekeepers 8, owing to the firm engagement of the keepers with the upperrelatively free ends of the latches. In Fig. 11, is illustrated the nextautomatic operation which follows immediately, owing to the engagementof the rollers 23 by the shoes 22 of the gyratory arms and shows thatthe springs 10 have been permitted to act to free the latches 9 from thekeepers 8, whereupon as soon as the arms move upwardly and rearwardly toentirely clear the rollers, the plungers 6 will be permitted to drop intheir proper order.

To properly balance the machine, I prefer to have the cranks, which areset at fifths, so disposed in relation to each other that they willoperate in the following order, namely, A, C, E, B, I), although it isto be understood that the invention is not limited in this regard andthat various other changes may be made in the construction, arrangementand proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of theinvention, as defined in the appended claims. For example, While Ipreferto use the crank shaft 19 having its cranks directly connected to thegyratory trip arms 20, as such arrangement of parts renders themechanism practically noiseless, yet as an alternative of thisarrangement, I may use a set of gear wheels, one of which is designated81 in Fig. f, said gear wheels having eccentric connections 32 to thegyratory arms 20 and being driven by spur pinions 33 on a drive shaft34: journaled in the frame-work,

\Vhat I claim is 1. A tamping mechanism, including a support, a plungerrod movable vertically in said support, a tamper carried by said rod, apower-operated g'yratory atrm engageable with the rod to raise the same,the rod being formed with a keeper, a springheld latch engageable withsaid keeper, a tilting plate mounted on the support and carrying thelatch, and. manually operable means for tilting the plate in a directionto effect the engagement of the latch with the keeper and the subsequentraising of the rod by means of the latch.

2. A tamping mechanism including a. support, a plurality of verticallymovable plunger rods carried thereby, a plurality of gyratory armsoperatively mounted there on adapted to engage said rods to raise them,tampers secured to the lower ends of said rods, the rods being formedwith keepers, spring-held latches engageable with said keepers, a rod onwhich said latches are mounted, a tilting plate mounted on the supportand carrying said rod and latches and springs in such relation that thesprings act on the latches for disengaging them from the keepers whenthe arms raise the rods, and means for tilting said plate.

3. A tamping mechanism, including a support, a plurality of verticallymovable plunger rods carried thereby, tampers secured to the lower endsof said rods, the rods being formed with keepers, a tilting platemounted on the support, latches pivotally mounted on the tilting plateand engageable with said keepers, springs connected to said latches andadapted to disengage them from the keepers, and manually operable meansfor tilting said plate in a direction to engage the latches with thekeepers and raise the plunger rods.

4:. A tamping mechanism, including a support, vertically movable plungerrods mounted therein, tampers secured to the lower ends of said rods,the rods being formed with keepers, a tilting plate mounted on thesupport, a pivot rod carried by said plate, latches pivotally mounted onsaid pivot rod and engageable with the keepers of the plunger rods,springs connected to said latches and tending to move them in adirection to disengage them from said keepers, the plunger rods beingprovided with laterally projecting rollers, gyratory arms engageablewith said rollers, means for suspending said arms at their rear ends, acrank shaft provided with a plurality of cranks connected to the arms togyrate the same, and manually operable means for tilting the plate,whereby to engage the latches with the keepers and to subsequently raisethe plunger rods by means of the latches to a position where theirrollers will be out of the path of movement of said arms.

5. A tamping mechanism including a support, a plunger rod movable insaid support, a tamper carried by said rod, a gymtory arm engageablewith the rod to raise the same, means for imparting movement to thegyratory arm, the rod being formed with a keeper, a latch engageableWith said keeper, a tilting plate mounted on the support and carryingthe latch, and means for tilting the plate in a direction to effect theengagement of the latch with the keeper and the subsequent raising ofthe rod by means of the latch.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

J. AUSTIN J ONES, JNo. O. HARRIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner 0! Patents, Washington, D. 0.

